Right To Work Laws

Today's Journal...

Ohio groups on opposite ends of right-to-work law

In the wake of Indiana’s recent passage of a right-to-work law, opposing sides in Ohio are preparing to battle over the same issue

The law makes it illegal to force employees to join a union or pay union dues and is similar to laws in 22 other states.
Tim Burga, chief of staff of Ohio AFL-CIO, calls the issue “right to work for less.” He contends that right-to-work laws drive wages and benefits lower and do nothing to create new jobs.

He cited a recent New York Times article that reported that six of the 10 states with the highest unemployment rates have right-to-work laws.


The organization Ohioans for Workplace Freedom says it will gather signatures to place before voters a proposed constitutional amendment to “guarantee the freedom of Ohioans to choose whether to participate in a labor organization as a condition of employment,” according to the group’s website.

MY FAMILY HAD AN EXPERIENCE WITH A RIGHT TO WORK STATE IN 2004-2005. WE LIVED IN TUCSON ARIZONA, ONE OF THE RTW STATES. WE FOUND THAT THE CITY OFFERED A LIMITED NUMBER OF LOW WAGE JOBS-SOME WITH BENEFITS, SOME WITHOUT BENNIES. NOW, THE WAGES AND BENEFITS PACKAGES OFFERED IN TUCSON'S JOB MARKET WERE SO POOR WE ENDED UP PACKING UP AND MOVING BACK TO OHIO AFTER JUST EIGHT MONTHS OF LOOKING TO GAIN DECENT EMPLOYMENT. WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF THE REASON FOR THE LOW WAGES/NO BENNIES ISSUE WAS DUE TO THE LARGE CONTINGENT OF MEXICAN WORKERS WHO ACCEPTED LOW WAGES FROM THE EMPLOYERS, DRIVING THE WAGES DOWN, OR IF THE FACT IT WAS A RIGHT TO WORK STATE THAT HELPED KEEP WAGES LOW AS UNION WAGE SCALE JOBS WERE SCARCE......OR A COMBO OF THE TWO. NOT NECESSARILY A SUPPORTER OF UNIONS AND THEIR WAGE SCALES. ON THE OTHER HAND, UNION WAGES COULD HAVE AN AFFECT ON WAGES PAID IN A GIVEN AREA. THE EMPLOYERS IN TUCSON LOVED THE FACT THAT THEY COULD KEEP WAGE/BENNIE COSTS TO A MINIMUM BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF UNION PRESENCE. ALOT OF "WORKING POOR" COUPLES IN TUCSON BOTH WORKING TWO JOBS, NEVER HOME AND PROBABLY NOT ABLE TO ENJOY THE NICE WEATHER AND MOUNTAINS OFFERED IN THE CITY WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS PEOPLE MOVE OUT THERE.

Ohio voters may get say on ‘right to work’
After Indiana OKs law, a group is working to get the issue on Ohio ballot.
By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer

In the wake of Indiana’s recent passage of a right-to-work law, opposing sides in Ohio are preparing to battle over the same issue.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels earlier this month signed the first right-to-work law to be enacted in the so-called Rust Belt, a stronghold for union-represented work forces. The law makes it illegal to force employees to join a union or pay union dues and is similar to laws in 22 other states. Indiana was the first state in a decade to enact such a law.
Some believe the law will give Indiana a competitive advantage in luring businesses to that state. Others don’t believe that.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/ohio-voters-may-get-say-on-right-to-work-1331587.html